between the drinks and subtle things
by garyprestons
Summary: In the pilot we see Miranda lose her trousers at Gary's leaving do/party. What happened after that?


Stevie pushed open the door to the bathroom and slipped in. As it closed behind her, the noise of the crowd dancing in the club was muffled slightly, but she could still hear the bassline of the music. She wanted to be out there dancing with the hot guy she'd met, but after seeing Miranda take off in a sprint towards the loo, she realised her friend needed her more.

"Miranda?" she said out loud to the bank of stalls, only one of them closed. A moment later Miranda emerged, looking completely embarrassed and upset.

"Lost my trousers again," she explained woefully. "Maybe I should start wearing braces under my shirt or something. Hang on, that's actually not a bad idea."

Stevie couldn't help but grin, happy to see her friend perking up slightly. Hurrying over to her, she grabbed Miranda's wrist.

"Come back out and dance with us! I just met what is probably the best specimen of a man out there. Come on!" She gave Miranda's hand a tug, but her giant friend held firm.

"Oh, Stevie, I can't. I should just jump out the window," Miranda wailed, looking over at the window behind them. "Give me a boost, I can probably get up there, if you stand on tiptoe…"

"Not going to happen, my massive friend," Stevie snapped back, but she wasn't that annoyed about the short joke. Mostly she was just worried about Miranda and how her mood had taken such a downward turn since they arrived. "What's gotten into you? Gary's out there, you should at least say goodbye if you're really going to leave."

As soon as she mentioned his name, Miranda's expression turned even more forlorn, if that were actually possible. Stevie wasn't an idiot – she knew Miranda fancied him. She was completely smitten and had a tendency to make an even bigger fool of herself around him. But Gary was also kind of weird, so Stevie thought it was literally a match made in heaven. While Stevie cackled at pretty much every unfortunate situation Miranda got herself into, Gary was quick to defend her. It was actually kind of sweet. But nothing had ever happened between them. Miranda was content just being his best friend, and Gary… well, Stevie didn't know what his situation was. He'd given Miranda heart-eyes back dozens of times but she was never looking when he did.

"What happened?" she asked with a sigh, leaning against the counter. Obviously this wasn't going to be as easy as just leaving.

"He asked me to dance, and then I lost my trousers," Miranda muttered, flushing a darker red. "I'm cursed, Stevie. The universe just doesn't want us to be together. The thing is, I was going to tell him that I like him. You know, before he goes away forever and I lose my chance. But I already did, because I made an idiot of myself in front of him – again!"

"Oh, Miranda, he doesn't care about you acting like a dweeb. He cares about you! I've seen it, even if you haven't. You've got to tell him how you feel!"

"I think I'll just stay in here for a bit longer," Miranda said. "Please don't tell him I'm hiding. Just make up an excuse. I'll come out when I've managed to muster up the courage."

Stevie nodded, realising that was the best she was going to get. She let go of Miranda's hand and left the bathroom.

Unable to locate the sexy piece of sexiness she'd been dancing with earlier, she went over to the bar and ordered another cocktail. A second later she sensed someone approach, and, hoping it was her new admirer, she fixed her hair before turning toward him with all of the allure she could exude.

"Whoa. Hi, Stevie," Gary stammered, and she immediately relaxed, all the while feeling slightly pleased that not even Gary could resist the allure. It was only a temporary effect though, because he set down the two glasses before asking her: "Have you seen Miranda?"

Stevie knew she had promised Miranda not to spill, but honestly, she was tired of watching the pair of them going around in circles. "She's hiding in the loo."

Gary sighed and looked sheepish. "Yeah, I thought she would be. I felt awful for running off but, um, I think it would have been worse if I'd stayed. Anyway, I bought her a drink."

"Well, I can help you with that so it doesn't go to waste," Stevie said cheerfully, reaching for the glass that wasn't half empty and taking a healthy swig. Immediately she felt the rush of sugar and made a face. "Oh my god, is there even any alcohol in this?"

He laughed and shook his head. "There is, but it's mostly sugar. You know better than anyone that she gets regal and angry when she's drunk."

"You know what her favourite drink is, hm?" Stevie asked, arching an eyebrow pointedly.

"What are you getting at?" Gary sputtered defensively. "She's my best friend, of course I know what her favourite drink is."

Stevie waved a hand dismissively, already bored with his excuses. "On an entirely unrelated note, are you excited for your trip?"

Gary took a drink and looked out over at the crowd of his friends dancing before replying. "Yeah, I suppose. It's a long way away, and it's for a long time. But yeah, I'm excited. I'll miss everyone. Even you, Stevie." He smirked, and she hit him on the arm lightly.

"You're too sweet." She followed his gaze and knew he was looking for Miranda. "I think she's still hiding. Want me to go check?"

He nodded quickly, and that told her everything she needed to know. Poor, lovestruck Gary. She didn't even know why he was going abroad without Miranda. He said he wanted an adventure, but surely just being her friend was more than enough. Stevie knew all too well you never knew what sort of mess you'd get into when you were friends with Miranda.

She left him at the bar and went back to the bathroom, pushing open the door and immediately feeling a cold draft.

"Oh no. Miranda," she sighed, and went over to close the open window. It was only a short hop down to the ground below, and with her friend's height she could have easily managed it. Stevie fastened the latch before slowly walking towards the door. She was understanding but still so frustrated that her friend had chosen the easy way out. Maybe she was right – maybe things with Gary were just never meant to be. Maybe it really would be easier for them to stay friends. But Stevie couldn't figure out why they were both so scared to even try.

Gary was fidgeting with a cocktail napkin when she approached him again, and all she could do was shake her head.

"Sorry, Gary. She's escaped."

He swallowed and nodded a few times. "Yeah. Yeah, I can see why she would. Still… I wanted to say goodbye to her proper. Tell her I was looking for her when you see her, okay?"

Impulsively, Stevie leaned over and gave him a hug. She felt his arm squeeze her waist and couldn't help but smile. As close as Miranda and Gary were, she'd never forgotten that she'd been his friend first, and even though they didn't have as much in common, they were still friends.

"I'll miss you,. Stevie."

"I'll miss you, too. What I won't miss is this endless drama between my two best friends. You call her before your flight leaves tomorrow and tell her yourself. Are we clear?"

"You're terrifying when you get like this, you know," he chuckled, and gave her another quick squeeze. "I promise I'll try."

Stevie let go of him and with one last little wave, slipped back out onto the dance floor to find her friend from earlier. As she looked back she saw Gary still standing there, looking utterly crushed. She really hoped he called Miranda, for everyone's sake.

She _really_ didn't want to deal with six months of Miranda pining for him.


End file.
